Suction sweeper



May 19, 1925.

F. W. ySTRAEHLE ET AL sUcTIoN swEERER Fild Jan. 31, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l l im In 7 Il 29 l// 1 w 3i? J3 34 5'? H W? l Hiv/712;@

wh.' @Wam any May 19, 1925. 1,538,226

F. w. STRAEHLE ET AL SUCTION SWEEPER Filed Jan. 51, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wam Patented May 19, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE.

FREDERICK STRAEHLE, F CLEVELAND, AND WALKER DE HAVEN LEE, OF EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS T0 JAMES M. DAVIS', OF COLUMBUS. OHIO, .AND WILBERT B.'MCCOY, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO. 1

SUCTION SWEEPER.

Application led January 31, 1923. Serial No. 616,105.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, FREDERICK W. f STRAEHLE and WALKER DE HAVEN LEE, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland and East Cleveland, respectively, in the county of Cuyahoga and State .of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suction. Sweepers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to suction sweepers and is of ,that type known as traction sweepers, in` which a suction fan mounted within is rotated in one direction by pushing the sweeper back and forth on the floor, the traction wheels being geared to the fan.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 isa side elevation; Fig. 2 a top plan view; Fig. 3 a longitudinal section; Fig. 4 a top plan partially broken away.

The device consists generally of a hollow casing 1 containin a transverse partition or platform 2 on w ich is mounted the fan rotating mechanism, and a cover 3.

The casing 1 includes a circular body part 4 which converges at the rear toa reduced neck 5 to which the dust bag is attached. The front end slopes downwardly as indicated at 6 and extends forwardly and is widened as at 7 to provide a brush container 8 consisting of the downwardly and forwardly extending part 6 and widened part 7. The brush container 8 has an elongated slot 9 on its under face throu h which the brush projects and through w ich the dirt is drawn.

The bottom of the casing slopes downwardly from the neck 5 to meetthe brush container 8, as indicated at .10. Within the casing is a partition 11 which slopes downward and rearwardly till it meets the bottom 10 at 12. x

The partition 11 is cut out at 13 and the bottom 1() is stepped downn at 14 opposite the cutout part 13 and the bottom thereof extends forwardly parallel with the floor to meet the brush ,holder 8 and is also flared outwardly as at 15.

The platform 2 is fastened to lugs 16 adjacent the open top of the casing 1, and provides a cover therefor.

The platform 2 has a tubular extension 17 which has bearings 18 mounted in the top and bottom thereof, in which the fan shaft 19 is carried.

The fan 20 consists of a. solid dished top 21, which has a plurality of blades 22, extending downwardly therefrom. Whenthe fan is mounted the blades 22 extend to within a very short distance of the bottom 10 and the partition 11 and rotate parallel thereto. The blades 22 do not extend to the center leaving a space 23.

The shaft 19 has a worm 24 cut thereon, l

which meshes with a worm ar 2 on a transverse shaft 26. The sha 26 has one. end journaled in an extension 27 on the platform 2 and the other end extends through a bushing 28 in a bo 29 on the cover 3.

A transverse shaft or axle 30 is carried in bosses 31 also on the cover 3; This shaft 30 exten ds across from one side to the other beneath the cover 3 and has traction wheels 32 rigidly attached to the ends thereof. One of the wheels 32 has a gear 33 lfastened to the.web thereof and this gear 33 meshes with a gear 34 on the end of the shaft 26.

The worm gear 25 is carried by a clutch mechanism 35, on the shaft 26, and allows the gear 25 to rotate in one direction only.

.The extension7 of the brush holder 8 is recessed -as indicated at 36 to. allow space for the forward wheels 37, which are carried on studs 38 extending vinto bosses 39.

The wheels 37 extend into the inside of the brush holder 8 and bear against the.

A bail is fastened to the shaft 30 and a handle (not shown) is attached to the bail.

As said before one end of the dust bag is/ attached to the neck 5 and the other end can be fastened to the handle.

When the sweeper is pushed back and forth on the floor the forward wheels rotate the brush, and the rear wheels and gear 33, 34, etc., rotate the fan at a. high speed.

The dust then is swept up and sucked vthrough the nozzle opening 9 and drawn back beneath the partition 11 and up through the opening 13 therein and into the the brush in the nozz e, the brush being driven in both directions alternately as the sweeper is rolled back and forth on theloor, and the fan being' driven in one direction only by the one-Way clutch and the gearing.

We claim: y

1. A sweeper comprising a casing divided into upper and lower'chambers, the base of the lower chamber sloping inwardly and downwardly toward the center thereof, a fan shaft extending from the upper into the lower chamber, a fan onl said shaft shaped in conformity with the base of the lower chamber, and gearing 'between said shaft and traction wheels whereby the fan is driven. s 2. A sweeper as set forth in claim l, said shaft having a worm thereon, a counter shaft having a gear engaging said worm, and a one-way clutch enclosed in the upper chamber, between the counter shaft and said gear. v

In testimony whereof we-aix our signatures in Eesence of two witnesses.

EDERICK W. STRAEHLE. WALKER DE HAVEN LEE. Witnesses:

J oHN A. BOMMHARDT, Bessin F. PoLLAK. 

